2006-10-12

The MICHELIN® TWEEL™ amazing invention November 2005Accolades continue to roll in for Michelin innovationNEW YORK, N.Y. (November 14, 2005) – Time magazine has selected Michelin's Tweel™ innovation as "One of the Most Amazing Inventions of 2005." The honor is reported in the Nov. 21 issue of the magazine, which hit newsstands today.

"Michelin innovation is the fuel that drives our market-leading products and customer satisfaction," said Terry Gettys, president of Michelin Americas Research and Development Corp. "Tweel has certainly captured the imagination of the transportation world with its potential to radically transform mobility. We are honored to have been recognized by the editors of Time magazine for Michelin's success in improving mobility in every form."

November has been a month filled with accolades for Michelin innovation.

On Nov. 1, 2005, the inventors of the radial tire, Marius Mignol and Pierre Bourbon, were inducted into the Tire Industry Association (TIA) Hall of Fame for their invention that improved the safety, performance and efficiency of tires.

On Nov. 8, Michelin's Tweel innovation was named to Popular Science's "Best of What's New" honor in the Automotive Technology category.

On Nov. 9, Michelin received its second InnoVision Hall of Fame Award for its extraordinary Tweel breakthrough.

On Nov. 14, Time magazine named Michelin's Tweel Innovation as "One of the Most Amazing Inventions of 2005."

Michelin Tweel, the revolutionary non-pneumatic tire and wheel assembly invented at Michelin's North American research center in Greenville, S.C., is quite simply a tire without air. Michelin is developing a variety of applications for the innovation ranging from the iBOT wheelchair to construction equipment to military vehicles and more.

The world's largest tire maker, Michelin (www.michelin.com) manufactures and sells tires for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy-duty trucks, motorcycles and the space shuttle. The company also publishes travel guides, maps and atlases covering Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America employs more than 23,000 and operates 20 plants in 16 locations.